How Radiology Leaders Can Address Burnout.

The 2018 Annual Workforce Survey conducted by the ACR Commission on Human Resources demonstrated that, although the majority of radiology practice leaders acknowledge radiologist burnout as a significant problem, only about one in five leaders responded that their practices were either extremely or very effective at addressing physician burnout. Moving forward, leaders will be increasingly held accountable and expected to describe to their teams their reasons for not addressing burnout. In this article, common misperceptions that may contribute to radiology practice leaders not addressing burnout are described, followed by outlining practical skills that leaders should develop to effectively address burnout.

Initial Impact of COVID-19 on Radiology Practices: An ACR/RBMA Survey.

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected radiology practices in many ways. The aim of this survey was to estimate declines in imaging volumes and financial impact across different practice settings during April 2020.

Methods: The survey, comprising 48 questions, was conducted among members of the ACR and the Radiology Business Management Association during May 2020.

Radiologist Burnout According to Surveyed Radiology Practice Leaders.

Overall, 55% of surveyed radiology practice leaders reported that burnout was a very significant problem, and 22% reported that burnout was a significant problem. Burnout did not vary by geographical region but did vary by practice size. Overall, 71% of respondents reported stress from workplace factors, and 36% reported stress from personal or social factors very significantly affected radiologist employee wellness; both sets of factors varied by geographical region, practice size, and practice type.

Characteristics of Radiologists' Clinical Practice Patterns by Career Stage.

Purpose: To assess characteristics of radiologists' clinical practice patterns by career stage.

Methods: Radiologists' 2016 billed services were extracted from the Medicare Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File. Billed clinical work was weighted using work relative value units.

Radiology Practice Consolidation: Fewer but Bigger Groups Over Time.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess recent trends in US radiology practice consolidation.

Methods: Radiologist practice characteristics were obtained from the Medicare Physician Compare database for 2014 and 2018. Radiologists were classified on the basis of their largest identifiable practice affiliations.

2018 ACR Commission on Human Resources Workforce Survey.

Purpose: The ACR Commission on Human Resources conducts an annual workforce survey to determine the makeup of the radiology workforce and to identify potential plans for hiring new staff in an attempt to better understand our profession.

Methods: The Practice of Radiology Environment Database group leaders were asked to complete an electronic survey regarding the makeup of their present workforce by subspecialty as well as the numbers and types of subspecialists hired in 2017 and the numbers and types of subspecialists expected to be hired in 2018 and 2019. They were also asked about midlevel practitioner employment.

A Road Map to Foster Wellness and Engagement in Our Workplace-A Report of the 2018 Summer Intersociety Meeting.

The 2018 radiology Intersociety Committee reviewed the current state of stress and burnout in our workplaces and identified approaches for fostering engagement, wellness, and job satisfaction. In addition to emphasizing the importance of personal wellness (the fourth aim of health care), the major focus of the meeting was to identify strategies and themes to mitigate the frequency, manifestations, and impact of stress. Strategies include reducing the stigma of burnout, minimizing isolation through community building and fostering connectivity, utilizing data and benchmarking to guide effectiveness of improvement efforts, resourcing and training "wellness" committees, acknowledging value contributions of team members, and improving efficiency in the workplace.

The Road to Wellness: Engagement Strategies to Help Radiologists Achieve Joy at Work.

Physician wellness is recognized as a critical component of enhancing the quality of health care. An epidemic of symptoms related to stress and burnout among medical professionals, including radiologists, in the workplace is threatening not only health care providers at a personal level but also the entire health care system. In this review, the authors highlight recognized stressors in the contemporary radiology workplace and offer practical suggestions for mitigating burnout, improving professional engagement, and promoting wellness.

The Late-Career Radiologist: Options and Opportunities.

More than 25% of the present radiology workforce, or nearly 8300 radiologists, are actively practicing late-career radiologists. While these individuals could decide to retire from active practice, their continued presence in the workforce helps to maintain adequate and appropriate patient imaging services. To ensure their continued participation, issues important to all late-career radiologists need to be appreciated, discussed, and addressed.

Comparison of Utilization of the Family and Medical Leave Act in Radiology Practices Between 2015 and 2016.

Objective: The objective of our study was to assess utilization of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in radiology practices in 2016 and compare with 2015 utilization.

Materials And Methods: The Practice of Radiology Environment Database was used to identify practice leaders, and these leaders were asked to complete the annual American College of Radiology Commission on Human Resources workforce survey. The 2017 survey, which asked about 2016 experiences, again included questions about the number of radiologists in each practice who took FMLA, reasons why, and how absences were covered.

Musculoskeletal Injuries Affecting Radiologists According to the 2017 ACR Human Resources Commission Workforce Survey.

Practice leaders surveyed in the 2017 ACR Human Resources Commission workforce survey reported that 25% of the radiologists or radiation oncologists they supervised had neck pain, 32% had low back pain, and 16% were dealing with a repetitive stress injury. The prevalence rates of these musculoskeletal ailments among radiologists and radiation oncologists were consistent with those reported in the literature in other populations. However, these prevalence rates may be underestimated because practice leaders, not the radiologists themselves, were surveyed, and the leaders may not be aware of all injuries.

Work-Related Injuries of Radiologists and Possible Ergonomic Solutions: Recommendations From the ACR Commission on Human Resources.

Increasingly, radiologists' workplaces revolve around PACS and digital imaging. Use of these technologies can lead to repetitive strain injuries, many of which can be exacerbated by specific features of a radiology practice environment. Ergonomic approaches, such as proper reading room structure, lighting, temperature, noise, and equipment setup, can help decrease the frequency and severity of repetitive strain injuries and improve radiologist productivity.

The 2017 ACR Commission on Human Resources Workforce Survey.

Purpose: The ACR Commission on Human Resources conducts an annual workforce survey to determine the makeup of the radiology workforce and to identify potential plans for hiring new staff in an attempt to understand our profession better.

Methods: The Practice of Radiology Environment Database group leaders were asked to complete an electronic survey regarding the makeup of their present workforce by subspecialty, as well as the numbers and types of subspecialists hired in 2016 and the numbers and types of subspecialists expected to be hired in 2017 and 2020. They were also asked about midlevel practitioners.

Potential Radiation-Related Effects on Radiologists.

Objective: The risk of injury associated with long-term occupational exposure to ionizing radiation is low for radiologists. The purpose of this article is to systematically review and inform radiologists about radiation-related effects to which they are potentially susceptible.

Conclusion: Formal education and training on radiation safety and management, careful attention to good radiation protection habits, and continued emphasis on radiation management and the as low as reasonably achievable principle are recommended for all radiologists.

Utilization of the Family and Medical Leave Act in Radiology Practices According to the 2016 ACR Commission on Human Resources Workforce Survey.

Purpose: To assess gender utilization of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in radiology practices across the United States.

Methods: The Practice of Radiology Environment Database was utilized to identify U.S.

Addition of the Fleischner Society Guidelines to Chest CT Examination Interpretive Reports Improves Adherence to Recommended Follow-up Care for Incidental Pulmonary Nodules.

Rationale And Objectives: The study aimed to determine whether the addition of the Fleischner Society guidelines to chest computed tomography (CT) reports identifying incidental pulmonary nodules affects follow-up care.

Patients And Methods: Beginning in 2008, a template containing the Fleischner Society guidelines was added at the interpreting radiologist's discretion to chest CT reports describing incidental solid pulmonary nodules at our institution. The records of all medical centers in Olmsted county were used to capture the complete medical history of local patients >35 years old diagnosed with a pulmonary nodule from April 1, 2008 to October 1, 2011.

The Radiologist and Depression.

Clinical depression affects physicians, including radiologists. Medical professionals, including radiologists, may be more comfortable treating a patient than being one, and psychiatric issues may be regarded as taboo for discussion, so the issue of clinical depression in the specialty and subspecialty has not received widespread attention. Specifically, a review of the national and international literature in PubMed, Scopus, and Google reveals few publications dedicated to the issue of clinical depression in radiology; although statistically, they must exist.

Evaluation of Posttreatment Follow-Up of Patients With Prostate Cancer Relative to the American College of Radiology's Appropriateness Criteria.

Objective: The American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria panel has recommended that patients with prostate cancer who have received treatment undergo imaging only after suspected cancer recurrence. We examined whether local physicians followed this recommendation and what types of imaging examinations were ordered in a cohort of patients with local prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: The Rochester Epidemiology Project, a research consortium that collects, links, and stores medical record information of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents, was used to capture the complete medical history of treated patients with prostate cancer from 2000 through 2011.

Transcriptomic and Immunohistochemical Profiling of SLC6A14 in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

We used a target-centric strategy to identify transporter proteins upregulated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as potential targets for a functional imaging probe to complement existing anatomical imaging approaches. We performed transcriptomic profiling (microarray and RNASeq) on histologically confirmed primary PDAC tumors and normal pancreas tissue from 33 patients, including five patients whose tumors were not visible on computed tomography. Target expression was confirmed with immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays from 94 PDAC patients.